GEB Jumbo Oats

GEB Jumbo Oats

• Adds a creamier body and smooth mouthfeel.
• Contributor to some haze in styles like witbiers and hazy IPAs.
  

Oats have a long tradition as a speciality ingredient in beer. With their unique qualities, oats have carved a niche in the craft brewing world. They have become a staple in many brewers' grain bins, lending their distinct characteristics to Oatmeal Stouts, hazy IPAs, and NEIPAs. Their unparalleled popularity and versatility set oats apart from the more 'traditional' cereal brewing grains, such as wheat and barley.

Most oats used in brewing undergo some form of processing, whether they are malted or not. Unmalted oats are typically processed to remove their protective hull or husk layer, with flaked torrified oats being the one exception. This process transforms the cereal oat into an oat groat, called a 'naked' grain.

Brewers should note unmalted oats must be mashed with base malts to extract sugar. The starch in unmalted oats will only be usable to yeast if enzymes can start breaking it down.

Oats can add various flavours and body-building components to a beer. They are generally richer in beta-glucans, proteins, and fatty acids than barley. The beta-glucans, along with other elements, are known to help build body in beer, but when it comes to mashing, they can cause headaches in the form of slow run-off from the mash tun. There are several tricks to avoid this headache, but adding rice hulls to your mash is the easiest solution.

Unmalted oats are going to be the most neutral flavour-wise. They are more known as a body-building component and a potential contributor to some hazy compounds for styles like witbiers and hazy IPAs.

A popular technique is to toast oats, making them brown and smell like oatmeal cookies. These characteristics are excellent in beers like brown ales, winter warmers, and porters.